If you've been keeping an eye on storage prices, you've probably noticed that recently, the prices, especially for SSDs, have become somewhat outrageous.
Take any entry-level 1TB SSD for example, the price has surged from last year's Singles' Day sale price of 300 CNY to the current 450 CNY, marking a whopping 50% increase. So, is it still viable to buy SSDs now?
There were already signs of storage price hikes, with analysts predicting a 10%-15% increase by the end of last year. Surprisingly, they turned out to be too conservative.
According to Jibang Consulting's forecast for the first and second quarters of 2024, NAND flash storage prices are estimated to rise by around 23-28% in Q1 and a further 13-18% in Q2.
So, it seems like there won't be any price drops in storage for 2024. Is it a good time to buy an SSD now, considering this upward trend? Well, it depends on your own needs.
For gamers with a pressing need for storage, selecting a product that hasn't experienced a significant price hike yet is advisable. This approach requires thorough research over an extended period, but opting for a 1TB solid-state drive (SSD) can save around a hundred CNY, making it a relatively more cost-effective choice.
For players who have a PC building or expansion plan but less urgent requirements, waiting for events like the 618 (June 18th) and Double 11 (November 11th) sales could be beneficial. During these periods, SSD prices typically drop significantly, helping to offset any potential price increases.
For budget-conscious gamers, I wouldn't recommend purchasing an NVMe solid-state drive (SSD) with a capacity lower than 480GB. Smaller-capacity SSDs are significantly more expensive per gigabyte compared to larger ones, and there's also the limitation of motherboard interfaces. Swapping out a smaller SSD for a larger one after occupying the interface can be quite cumbersome.
If your budget is extremely limited but you need a large storage capacity, SSDs might not be the best option at the moment. Opting for a 4TB mechanical hard drive is actually feasible. It's worth noting that the sequential read speeds of some entry-level SSDs are even slower than mechanical hard drives, so there's no need to blindly pursue SSDs.
Lastly, it's important to remind everyone to choose reputable channels when purchasing either mechanical or solid-state drives. It's strongly advised not to consider second-hand products for storage, especially after the cryptocurrency mining boom. Apart from a few newly released SSDs, most hard drives carry mining risks, which ordinary users are often unable to discern. The consequences of data loss can be extremely severe.
